The 5 Best Cheese Graters of 2026, Tested & Reviewed

If you’ve ever reached for a bag of pre-shredded cheese and wondered why it doesn’t melt right, here’s your answer: It’s coated in anti-caking agents that keep the shreds from sticking together. Consider shredding it yourself instead. A good grater makes it easy, and won’t skin your knuckles in the process. 

Whether you’re showering Parmesan over pasta, grating zucchini for bread, or sneaking butter into biscuit dough, a great grater (hehe) makes prep fast and safe. (Watch those knuckles!) I tested 10 graters of various styles (box, handheld, and rotary) to find ones that made the cleanest cuts with the least effort.

The Winners, at a Glance

Sharp, sturdy, and thoughtfully designed, this grater made the fluffiest piles of cheese with the least effort. The removable rasp-style panel actually works for zesting (a rarity among box graters) and pops off for easy cleaning. It’s not the fastest for large jobs, but it’s the most versatile and best-built overall.

Lightweight and impressively sharp, the Cuisipro handled everything from cheddar to carrots with ease. It lacks extras, but if you just want something that works without fanfare, it’s a solid pick for the price.

Made from a solid piece of stainless steel, this handheld grater has a super-slim profile that could slip into the tightest of spaces. What it lacks in versatility, it makes up for in durability and simplicity, with sharp holes that catch onto soft and tough foods alike.

This compact grater made quick work of hard cheeses, blitzing through Parmesan faster than any other rotary model I tested. The sharp drum teeth cut effortlessly, and the reversible design works for both left- and right-handed users.

For zesting citrus or grating garlic, you can’t go wrong with the sharp teeth of a Microplane. The soft handle keeps grip steady as you grate everything from hard cheese to whole spices.

The Tests

• Large Hole Test 1 (Cheddar): I grated eight ounces of cheddar on the large holes of each box grater, timing the process. I noted how much pressure was required and whether the cheese came out in fluffy, distinct ribbons or mushy clumps. The sharpest models produced clean, airy piles, while the worst compressed the cheese into dense, greasy curls.
• Large Hole Test 2 (Carrots): I shredded dense, fibrous carrots to test the large holes further. This test revealed how well each grater could handle a tougher ingredient without clogging or skidding around on the counter. 
• Zesting Citrus Test: Most box graters have a side for zesting, so I used one lemon per model and ran it along that side. The resulting texture varied widely from grater to grater, with some able to create delicate, fragrant curls while others just mashed the peel. 
• Rotary Grater Hard Cheese Test: To test the rotary graters, I measured out two ounces of Parmesan cheese and timed the process of grating it into a fluffy mound of shavings. I checked for smoothness of motion, any jerky stops, and how much cheese remained trapped in the hopper.
• Chocolate Test (Winners Only): To single out the top models, I grated two ounces of dark chocolate using each winning grater. This test exposed how well each grater dealt with delicate, heat-sensitive ingredients. 
• Usability and Cleanup Tests: Beyond raw performance, I looked at comfort, control, and ease of maintenance. Graters that were dishwasher-safe took a spin in the machine and received a thorough inspection afterward. 

What I Learned

Graters Were for Grating and Zesters for Zesting

As a general rule, most of the box graters were terrible at zesting. Those little star-shaped points that most graters have on a small side of the box are designed to grate citrus zest or hard spices, but I don’t find them to be useful at all. During testing, box graters that had this style of zesting surface performed terribly, leaving me with little (if any) zest. Take a look at our review of rasp-style graters to see if any of the winners have a surface that looks even remotely similar to those star-shaped points, and you’ll get what I mean. If you’ve ever had trouble with a recipe that called for zest and you were left scratching your head, wondering how it could possibly be so hard, it might be your grater. If it has those star-shaped points, don’t even bother. The only graters that performed well during my lemon zesting test were the Cuisipro and the OXO, both of which have rasp-style fine raised teeth designed to catch on citrus peels and remove the zest without digging into the bitter pith below. 

However, all the models I tested grated well. Despite variations in hole size, shape, and design, all were able to grate cheese, chocolate, and carrots without issue. The main differences came down to subtle differences in texture and effort. Bottom line: Buy a grater for its grating capability and get a Microplane if that’s a tool you need. Don’t expect most graters to be able to do both tasks well.

Cheese Grater’s Sides are Versatile

The four sides of a box grater can be used for so many things. I use the coarse side for shredding vegetables, grating butter for pastry dough, and turning stale bread into breadcrumbs without having to haul out my food processor. The finer sides give you more options, like zesting or grating hard spices. While I personally prefer a mandoline for slicing, some of the slicer sides on the box graters can be effective, though you can’t adjust the thickness. 

Design Details Mattered

It’s easy to assume a box grater is just four sides of metal, but the small design choices ended up making a big difference. The winning OXO Good Grips Etched Box Grater, for instance, stood out for its rubberized nonslip base and wide, soft handle, which kept it stable and comfortable through long grating sessions. In contrast, the Cuisipro, though sharp, tended to slide around on its hard plastic base, and I had to use additional effort to keep it in place. 

Design mattered just as much during cleanup. Graters like the OXO, with open corners and removable sides, rinsed clean in seconds, while models such as the Cuisinart trapped stubborn bits of food along tight seams that required a brush or toothpick to remove.

Thinner Metal Was Better

Typically, thin metal corresponds with lower durability. After all, a thinner piece of metal is more prone to dents. However, for graters, thinner metal surfaces actually equate to sharper holes. The holes of a grater are like blunt knives. The thinner the edge of a blade, the sharper it feels. While grater holes aren’t sharpened to a beveled edge, the thickness of the metal determines how fine those cutting lips can be. Etched holes, made by chemically removing material rather than punching through, have thinner, more precise edges that act like tiny knives slicing through food. They shear cleanly instead of tearing, which means less resistance and a fluffier pile of cheese. I saw this when grating with the OXO Good Grips Etched Box Grater, which grated my block of cheese 35 seconds faster than the slowest model, the Rösle. Stamped or punched holes, on the other hand, are formed by pressing thicker metal, leaving behind a raised rim that’s stronger but blunter. In my tests, box graters with stamped holes tended to be slower to use overall, and my arm was more fatigued by the end. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Cheese Grater

Cheese graters should be good at one thing: grating. That means sharp holes. With all that sharp metal, you’ll also want a firm, secure place to grip and non-slip traction on the base. Each side of the grater should be useful; otherwise, you’re better off just going with a compact handheld cheese grater, like the Rösle. Bonus points go to graters with useful extras, like measurement markings, a detachable catch container, or a slicer side that actually works. Make sure that the cutting area isn’t too narrow and has plenty of surface area for you to work against. The best graters make prep faster and easier, not more precarious.

My Favorite Cheese Graters

What I liked: What stuck out to me about this box grater wasn’t the sharp teeth. It was the removable zester that actually works and doesn’t clog up with unusable zest. Not only was this the sole grater that was able to actually produce decent lemon zest and chocolate shavings, but giving the grater a removable side makes it easy to push food through and also makes it easy to clean.

I appreciated how steady it felt under heavy use, as well. When I grated cheddar or carrots, the base stayed planted, and I didn’t have to battle for stability or reposition every few strokes. The etched holes cut cleanly and smoothly, giving me ribbons of cheese instead of mashed piles. Even with the hard chocolate, the grates didn’t skip or bind, and the soft-grip handle stayed comfy all the way through. The lidded storage box that comes with the grater is a handy accessory.

What I didn’t like: When I was grating cheddar, it wasn’t the fastest. This is probably due to a smaller overall surface area for grating.

Key Specs

• Style: Box
• Dimensions: 12.25 x 5.25 x 3.5 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel, silicone
• Sides: Coarse, fine, microplane, slicer
• Accessories: Removable microplane, measured container with lid
• Dishwasher-safe?: Yes
• Weight: 17.5 ounces

What I liked: For a no-frills grater, the Cuisipro delivers. The holes are surprisingly sharp, biting into both hard and soft cheeses without much effort. It’s lighter than my top pick from OXO, which makes it easy to maneuver and hold steady over a bowl or plate. It’s also dishwasher-safe and straightforward to clean—no cramped corners or awkward attachments to wrestle with.

What I didn’t like: It doesn’t have a non-slip base to anchor it, and the handle would be more comfortable if it were soft rubber as opposed to hard plastic. The ginger-grating surface on the detachable base felt like an afterthought without much usability. 

Key Specs

• Style: Box
• Dimensions: 10.5 x 4.5 x 3.75 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic
• Sides: Ultra-coarse, coarse, fine, slicer
• Accessories: Detachable base with rough “ginger-grating” surface
• Dishwasher-safe?: Yes
• Weight: 10.75 ounces

What I liked: Maybe you don’t need a variety of grating styles and just need a simple option to help you get through a few ingredients. In that case, go for the Rösle wire handle grater. It has a slim, looped handle and rubber feet that stick firmly to most surfaces. Between those two features, you can grate a block of cheese in no time. The feet also have a hooked design so you can loop them over the edge of a bowl and rest the grater on top, allowing your food to drop down below.

What I didn’t like: It’s pricey, especially considering it only has one grating style. That said, you can buy other graters with different holes.

Key Specs

• Style: Handheld
• Dimensions: 15.7 x 3.5 x 0.75 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel, rubber
• Sides: Coarse
• Accessories: None
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes
• Weight: 10 ounces

What I liked: This rotary grater processed two ounces of Parmesan faster than the others I tested. The drum’s teeth were razor-sharp, biting cleanly into the cheese with minimal effort on my part. Ribbony shreds billowed out with each crank like a scene from an Italian romance movie (my kind of romance always involves cheese). I appreciated the design: The handle and drum pop out easily for cleaning and can be flipped for left- or right-handed use. (Lefties just need to remember to turn the handle toward themselves instead of away.) While all the rotary graters left a small chunk of cheese that couldn’t be grated down all the way, the one left in the Zyliss was by far the smallest, less than one millimeter thick. 

What I didn’t like: The handle is on the smaller side_, so larger hands might find the grip a bit cramped.

Key Specs

• Style: Rotary
• Dimensions: 6 x 6 x 3 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic
• Accessories: None
• Dishwasher-safe?: Yes
• Weight: 7.7 ounces

What I liked: The soft, grippy handle that comes in a variety of fun colors might be enough to catch your eye, but it’s the design of the grating end that sold us on the Microplane grater. The small, sharp teeth of this tool wrap around the edges to allow for more versatility, no matter what you need grating, be it a hunk of Parmesan or a lemon. A couple of small rubber feet add stability to the grater when used at an angle on a cutting board. All around, this is a useful gadget that could find a home in any kitchen, and could even be used to supplement a box grater with a poor zesting side.

What I didn’t like: Some narrow spots on the underside could be trickier to clean than other options.

Key Specs

• Style: Rasp
• Dimensions: 7.8 x 1 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic
• Accessories: Cover
• Dishwasher-safe?: Yes
• Weight: 3.2 ounces

The Competition

• KitchenAid Gourmet 4-Sided Stainless Steel Box Grater: The overall construction is durable and strong, and the coarse holes shredded cheese and carrots decently well. Sadly, I found the zesting side to be completely unable to produce any usable zest, and the slicer side is too dull to be useful.
• Spring Chef Professional Cheese Grater: It felt flimsy and cheaply made, with a useless zesting side that mashed my lemon without producing any zest.
• Cuisinart CTG-00-BGS Box Grater: The included storage container is nifty and the handle is grippy and comfortable to use. However, the zesting side is just a fine grater, so it won’t give you usable zest for your next batch of lemon curd.
• Microplane 4-sided Stainless Steel Professional Box Grater: This grater impressed me with sharp, fine-cutting surfaces that turn cheese and vegetables into flat, delicate shreds but overall it was bulky and awkward to use.
• Norpro Stainless Steel Grater: This cheap grater was flimsy and easily dented during cleaning. None of the sides stood out as exceptional.
• OXO Box Grater: This stamped-metal grater handled the broad tasks of shredding cheese and carrots adequately, but the slicer side was weak and inconsistent. The largest grating holes tended to trap food rather than release it cleanly and the zester side clogged quickly.
• RSVP International Endurance Box Grater: This grater promised “commercial quality” performance but fell short on every test. The slicer and zester were barely functional and the grater sides tended to clump. The extra mini-zester on the slicer side was more decorative than functional. It seems to be discontinued.
• Utopia Cheese Grater and Shredder 6-sided Box Grater: While this grater did well at shredded cheese it fell quite short on zesting. For someone grinding cheese frequently but less concerned with zest or fine grating, it could be a good option. It no longer seems to be available.
• Cuisinart Boxed Grater: This one couldn’t top the winners due to a lackluster zesting side and finicky cleaning.
• OXO Good Grips Multi Grater: This foldable multi-grater looked handy, but under pressure with harder cheeses, it felt flimsy and less capable than other models. It may serve for occasional light use or garnish tasks, but for regular heavy grating, a standard box grater or rasp will perform better.
• OXO Rotary Grater: This rotary grater comes with a silicone seal if you intend to store your chunk of cheese in there at all times, which is a nice plus. During testing, it took twice as long for me to get through the chunk of Parmesan with this grater compared to the Zyliss. 
• Microplane Dual Blade Rotary Grater: I wanted to like this grater because it comes with two sets of drums with different blade sizes. It performed decently, but it’s wildly expensive and just didn’t shred cheese as fast as my winner.
• Williams Sonoma Prep Tools Rotary Grater: At this price, you’d expect top-notch performance, which I just didn’t see. A two-millimeter-thick piece of cheese remained in the hopper, stuck in a spot that left it unable to be processed. At times, the motion felt jerky. 

FAQs

Are box graters dishwasher-safe?

Yes, many box graters can go in the dishwasher. However, dishwashers can dull the teeth more rapidly, so it’s probably better to hand-wash. 

Can you use a box grater for potatoes?

Absolutely. In fact, that’s one of its best uses. Grate potatoes for latkes, hash browns, or rösti. The large holes are perfect for creating those long, even shreds that crisp up beautifully. 

What is the spiky side of a box grater for?

The star-shaped, spiky holes on the side of many box graters are intended for zesting citrus or finely grating hard ingredients like nutmeg, garlic, or ginger. They can also make very fine breadcrumbs.

Can cheese graters dull over time?

Any cutting edge can dull with time, and, unfortunately, cheese graters can’t be sharpened. When you notice that it’s getting harder and harder to use, it’s done. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Taylor Murray has worked in food and food media since 2018, at publications such as Good Housekeeping, Food52, and Food Network. Before that, she worked in some of the country’s top restaurants, including Eleven Madison Park and Frasca Food and Wine. She’s been testing products for Serious Eats since 2021 (check out her reviews of knife sets and slicers).
• For this review, Taylor tested 10 graters of various styles, using them to grate cheese, carrots, citrus, and chocolate.